The Legend of Shenling
by Tellemicus Sundance
Summary: Early extremists of a political and social movement had decided to make a 'preemptive strike' against their enemies' champion. And now the destiny of one young girl is forever changed. Lost in fear and anger, she must find a way to come to terms with what has happened and find a way to set the world right again. For she is the Avatar!
1. Origins of the Legend

**Legend of Shenling  
**By: Tellemicus Sundance  
_#01—Origins of the Legend_

_There are many countless legends that surround the beings known to the world as the Avatar, spirit bridge between the worlds. Legends of them preventing wars, ending conflicts, fighting enormous battles both alone and not whilst against armies, settling political disputes, bringing and maintaining peace, protecting the world from the dark and vengeful spirits of the otherworld. And all of these feats of legend weren't due to the common factor that the Avatar was a being of immense political and spiritual power. No, these tremendous feats were guided by the power of the Avatar's destiny to bring and keep the world within balance._

_At the end of the reign of Avatar Aang, the world held its breath for the discovery of the next Avatar as the cycle began anew. But, in an encounter that many future historians would later debate endlessly, the destiny of the new Avatar was forever changed and the rise of a different legend began._

—**Water**—Earth—Fire—Air—

**157 ASC  
South Pole**

In the South Pole, winter lasted slightly more than eight months of the year. Some days the sun didn't even rise, keeping the lands coated in varying shades of darkness. Winter storms had a tendency to last for weeks and the constant snowfall and winds made travel extremely difficult. Many a poor fool ended up getting lost and freezing to death. And that wasn't even taking into account the deadly predators that roamed the frozen wastes, like the polar bear-dog, wild polar dogs, and the deadly polar leopards.

It was for these conditions that the majority of the Southern Water Tribes were located near the shores and every home had its own source of running water. Though several ambitious leaders had tried in the past to establish new Tribes further inland over the ages, the winter conditions only got harsher and longer lasting, forcing those budding expansionists to abandon their dreams of fully cultivating the South Pole.

Korra was only four-years-old when she discovered she possessed the wonderful gift of waterbending. She had been out playing in the winter snow during the morning darkness. There were ominous, dark clouds visible on the horizon, promising the arrival of the start of a new storm season and frigid temperatures. But the young, slightly plump girl didn't even notice.

Her attention was focused upon herself, the water at her feet, and the basic instructions on the scroll that she'd set on the bucket next to her. Dressed in a simple blue fur and tiger-seal leather coat and snow pants, the little tanned girl was glaring cutely at the water as she set herself into the basic stance of waterbending that the scroll described. Focusing inwards, Korra felt a deep reservoir of untapped chi potential within herself. Drawing upon this energy, she filled her body with it, moving it with the ease of water.

Raising her arm experimentally, Korra let out a delighted cry as a narrow strip of water surged up from the ground and floated in the air like a serpent. Due her childish fascination at what she'd done, Korra lost her concentration on her chi, her martial arts stance faltered, and the water collapsed limply back into the puddle. But it didn't dissuade her in the least.

"I did it!" she cried out joyously as she jumped into the air, raising her arms triumphantly. "I'm a Waterbender! I'm gonna be greatest ever!"

It was then that something remarkable happened. With her chi still present within her body despite her losing her focus, it responded to her body's actions. With the upward thrust of her arms, a pair of small rocks jutted out of the ground next to each other in front of her. The remainder of her chi was then expelled as a small and weak plume of fire erupted from her mouth while she was still crying out happily.

Startled by these unexpected events, Korra lost her balance and fell to the ground. Moaning slightly at her pained bottom, she quickly sat up and stared at the two rocks that still were jutting out, an incredulous expression on her face. "Did I do that?!"

Jumping back to her feet, she brought out her chi again and tried to repeat the event. Now that she was paying attention to it as she was lifting her arms up, Korra felt a slight resistance pull at them. The resistance was rather light, so she was able to stubbornly push pass it with her chi-enhanced muscles. Sure enough, another rock, larger than the previous two, lifted out of the ground and hovered in the air before her. Losing her focus again in surprise, the rock fell to the ground as she stared at it in slight incomprehension.

As her mind began to catch up to her, an idea quickly formed. It was impossible. It had to be! But she still had to test it. Feeling the small amount of leftover chi still inside her, she expelled it as she punched outwards, making another blast of orange fire. Realizing that the bedtime stories her mommy and daddy had been telling her were true, a wide smile crossed Korra's face.

"_I'M THE AVATAR!_" Channeling her chi once again, she thrust her tiny fist into the air triumphantly with a wide grin, raising the large rock in front of her once again to accentuate the point. "WATCH OUT WORLD, HERE I COME!"

From the inside of their home, Senna watched her daughter with a small smile and sad eyes. She loved her baby dearly. And while she was both surprised and honored to discover that her little Korra was the Avatar, she felt an immeasurable sadness fill her. This was because she knew that her daughter was going to be facing many hardships in the future, most of which she'd be expected by the masses to settle in some way. It was both a gift and curse, an incredible honor and a never-ending duty.

Senna truly hoped that her spunky daughter could handle the challenges that no doubt were awaiting her arrival.

—**Water**—Earth—Fire—Air—

Two days later…

It was late night, very dark, freezing cold, and the strong winds were blowing large, shifting dunes of snow through the air with the greatest of ease. The many of the lamps and candles of the various igloos and homes of the Tribe were slowly being sniffed out, leaving only the small central fire pits in homes for light and heat on this cold winter night. The only sounds disturbing this tranquil scene were those of five people dressed very heavily in fur coats, cloaks, and various other winter gear as they quietly entered the Tribe's main village area.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Jakka?" one of the men asked, his voice barely heard over the winds.

"Of course it is!" Jakka answered instantly. "And don't try to talk us out of it! This rumor is credible, I know the guys I overheard discussing it yesterday quite well."

"And think of the fame and fortune!" another man added, a greedy sneer on his face. "Do you think we could talk Amon into paying us for a job well done?"

"Shush!" all four of his companions hissed instantly. Jakka quickly continued, glaring at the speaker, "We're in enemy territory! No speaking of _his_ name until we've got our target! Now, come on. Their home is that one." He pointed to a seemingly random hut.

As they crept closer to the hut, two members of the group approached the door while the other three quickly fanned out and circled around it. They carefully peered through small openings in the fur-lined windows. There were four basic rooms to this particular hut. The largest central one was the common area, one was the washroom, and the other two were bedrooms. Signaling that they'd found the bedroom of the youngest resident, who was presently asleep in her thick fur blankets and sleepwear, the three men went to work digging through the ice and rock that formed the bedroom wall.

Meanwhile at the door, the two men began loudly knocking on the door. It was late, but not so late that travelers would be out and about and most people were just preparing for bed. After a few minutes, a tall burly man opened the door to greet their visitors. "Can I help you?"

"Evening," Jakka greeted in a staged travel-worn voice. "I don't mean to intrude, sir, but I was hoping we could trouble you for some shelter for the night?"

Tonraq didn't even need to consider to request before opening the door fully to allow the two travelers entry. "Of course, come on in. I'm afraid we don't have a spare bedroom, but I know our blankets are quite comfortable, especially on cold nights like tonight."

"Who's there, honey?" Senna asked, as she pulled a robe over her nightgown and approached the bedroom door.

"Just some visitors asking for shelter," Tonraq answered easily, smiling at his lovely wife as he turned towards her, not noticing the strangers reaching towards the insides of their jackets.

—**Water**—Earth—Fire—Air—

When asked in later years, Korra wouldn't be able to answer just what had caused her awaken at that time, her memories were too hazy. But what she did remember with crystal clarity were the sounds of her parents' distress coming through the walls, thumping noises as bodies jostled about, and the bitter chill of the freezing night air washing over her lightly clothed body as strong hands grabbed her small arms and pulled her out of the comfort of her home and bed.

With a cry of pain and confusion, Korra reflexively tried to free herself. Because of the position she was being dragged in, loose snow on the ground easily entered her loose pajama shirt and sent fiercer shivers of cold up her spine. She was still somewhat asleep, so her body was sluggish and she couldn't properly see through the hazy that clouded her eyes. Sadly, because of her yelling, she made it all-too-easy for her captors to shove a large, filthy rag into her mouth and it off behind her head.

Just as her eyes began to clear, Korra caught sight of something that she'd never be able to forget in her life. Through the hole in her bedroom wall, she saw her mother open the door, stumbling and hunched over slightly, holding her side that had a quickly spreading dark spot of blood. Her mother stared at her and her captors for a moment. Then, in a burst of movement behind her, Senna jolted slightly with a slight cry of pain.

Slowly to Korra, like the change of the tides, her mother's eyes began to close as she hunched further forward and then finally collapsed to the floor. In her mother's place, there stood a burly, heavily coated man with a bloody knife in his hand and a look of absolute contempt on his face as he stared down at Senna's body. Despite her very young age, Korra could recognize death when she saw it. She knew instinctively that her dearly beloved mother was never going to get back up again. Never gonna tuck her in to bed at night, cuddle and play with her in the snow, teach her basic mathematics and reading, help her learn various necessary chores around the house. She was gone to the Spirit World forever.

Thankfully for her captors, before Korra could fly off the handle and trigger the Avatar State as her fast-rising chi skyrocketed, she was roughly jabbed in certain key locations along her spinal column. The pressure points blocked off the natural flow of chi in her body and thus prevented her from entering the Avatar State. As Korra slumped to the ground limply, completely drained of her chi and fighting spirit, a loud wail of anguish erupted from her throat and out around the gag in her mouth. It was a wail that was quickly cut off as she was promptly knocked out and stuffed into a large bag like a piece of rubbish.

"Did you really have to kill them?" Hiwon asked, staring in slight apprehension at the bloody knife Jakka was holding.

"Shut up, we need to get out of here _now!_" Jakka snapped irritably. The Avatar's father had put up more of a fight than he'd really expected, especially for a man who'd been caught by surprise. "Someone might've heard that brat's yell!"

Grabbing the sack that the girl had been stuffed into, Hiwon slung it over his shoulder and backed away from the hole. Jakka and Wu Jan exited through the hole and they quickly turned and ran for the outskirts of the Tribe. They weren't a moment too soon as just as they'd reached the relative safety of the snow dunes, lanterns and shouts began to appear in the village.

Rushing over to where they'd hidden their boat, the group of men quickly pushed it out into the frigid waters and jumped aboard. Four of them took up oars and began paddling, pulling away from the shore and heading towards the clumps of ice burgs that littered the surrounding waters. The fifth man used an oar to push away any ice that got too close to the boat. With four men paddling in synchronization, they made quite exceptional time and were nothing more than a speck on the horizon before the first of the polar dogs reached the shore, tracking the scent of the strangers.

When the Order of the White Lotus arrived later that night, they found that they'd failed Avatar Aang's last request of keeping his reincarnation safe from threats until he or she was ready.

—**Water**—Earth—Fire—Air—

The next day…

Korra had never felt more weak, afraid, or alone in all of her short life than she did when she awoke again upon a cold, wooden floor. Her hands and feet were tightly bound by rough ropes that bit mercilessly into her tender skin. She was still dressed in her pajamas, which offered almost no protection against the biting cold in the air. As a result, her body temperature was quite low, her knees and arms were so cold they were almost numb, and her breath came out in small poofs of moisture before her face.

"Mommy, Daddy," she murmured quietly. The first coherent thought in her mind was that she wished her parents would close the door or give her a blanket to warm her up in. Then she remembered the vivid memory of her mother falling over dead and the fear set in.

Eyes opening as her drowsiness quickly fled, Korra looked around her new surroundings with fear and confusion. She was inside some kind of dark room. The only light came from the small barred window in the door. Though not enough to illuminate the room, it was enough to help Korra see. The room was bare, except for a small, ragged blanket, a set of clothes about her size, and a pair of boots. Struggling, she tried to push herself up into a sitting position, but she couldn't with her limbs tied.

"Hey!" she called out as loudly as she could. "Can someone untie me, please?!"

There was no answer, leaving Korra to suspect that either she was being ignored or she was alone. Gritting her teeth, Korra rolled over onto her back, glaring at the ropes on her feet as she lifted them into the air. How she wished they'd just spontaneously combust_—! That's it! _Using the same trick that she'd learned a few days ago, Korra breathed in through her nose, heating the air in her lungs with her chi, and then blowing it out in a small but concentrated blast of fire. Due to her unrefined technique, the fire bloomed into a relatively large fireball that mildly burned her bare feet. But the trade-off of having the ropes burned off seemed somewhat worth the pain, in Korra's opinion.

Holding in her initial cry of pain, Korra merely rolled onto her side and tried to breathe deep and calmly. In a slight twist of irony, she actually found herself somewhat thankful for the cold air since it helped to numb down the burn pains. After several minutes of this, she gingerly tested her feet. They still throbbed in pain, but it was a bit more manageable now. Enough so that she was able to finally stand up and walk hesitantly over towards the pile of clothes.

Sitting down next to it, thanks to her young and flexible body, she was able maneuver her hands down under her butt and looped them out under her feet, freeing them from behind her back. Repeating her earlier firebending trick, she blew out another but much smaller ball of fire that incinerated the ropes on her wrists. Hands free, she quickly changed out of her pajamas and dressed into the clothes provided. They weren't much, torn and worn bare in places, but they were still considerably better than what she had on.

Moving over to the door, she started banging on it as hard as she could. "Hey! Is anyone there?! I wanna go home!"

"Quiet, you!" a sudden and loud voice snapped from the other side as the man hit the door hard enough to cause it to jolt in the frame, scaring young Korra. Peeking through the small window, the dark-skinned man glared disgustedly down at her. It took only a few seconds, but Korra soon recognized that horrible face from her nightmarish memory. That was the man who'd killed her mommy! "If you know what's good for you, Avatar, you'll keep quiet and out of trouble!"

"Why'd you hurt my mommy?!" Korra yelled, muscling through her fear of the man as a small glare worked its way onto her face. "We didn't do anything to you!"

"Not _yet_, you haven't," the man acknowledged, his glare deepening. "You should be happy we _didn't_ send you to join your parents in the Spirit World yet."

"…What?" Korra asked, a deep quickly starting to take place in her heart. "My 'parents'? What'd you do to Daddy?!"

"The same thing as your _mother_, brat," the man snapped. "Now, _sit down, shut up_, and _behave_ or I'll come in there and hurt you too!" Before Korra could formulate a response to that, the man stepped back and slammed the window shut, cutting off the light.

In the darkness, Korra loudly wept for her parents. Fear, confusion, and sadness were her only companions.

—**Water**—Earth—Fire—Air—

Three weeks later…

Jakka stared out of the manmade window of the small cave he was in. It had been a stressful month for him and his team. When he and his companions of fellow Equalists had set out for this job, they had thought it'd be a simple case of grab and run. But ever since they'd arrived at the Avatar's home tribe, they'd been continuously blocked or hindered in some fashion. Some of them hindrances were expected, but others most assuredly _weren't_.

First, the Order of the White Lotus had learned of the 'potential' Avatar's kidnapping much earlier than they'd first assumed. The ancient Order had become much more influential and militant in the past few decades, especially since Avatar Aang's passing. With that kind of power, they had easily been able to all but put up a blockade around the South Pole. Getting out of the South Pole had quickly proven to be very difficult, even when a person _wasn't_ trying to conceal anything. Trying to smuggle the uncooperative Avatar out of the Water Tribe right now would be nothing more than an effort in futility. On that note, it had definitely been a good idea of Jakka's to hide the little brat in his family's old hunting cabin out in the frozen wastes.

Another complication was of course the weather. The Avatar had chosen a horrible time to reveal herself, as far as Jakka was concerned. The winter storms had hit with a vengeance, keeping the South Pole painted in near-constant darkness and endless freezing winds of snow. This made travel very difficult by itself. With only an average of three hours of daylight a day, this only further restricted travel time.

One small blessing was that he had managed to send Wu Jan ahead to Republic City with news of the Avatar's capture. He had been sure that Amon would've been quite pleased with them. That alone would've made nearly all other problems seemingly worthwhile if they'd had their leader's approval. But the fact of the matter was that this 'preemptive strike' was completely unplanned, unsanctioned, and unnecessary. Wu Jan had returned only a few days ago with bad news: Amon was _not_ pleased. Apparently the Equalists' leader had had plans to face the Avatar later on, when she was a fully-trained and recognized Avatar and at the height of her power. What better way to show that the Equalists weren't to be trifled with than if Amon could bring down their bending champion like that?

Alas, he and his team were trapped in the Southern Water Tribe in the beginning of winter with the Avatar that they couldn't just return for fear of discovery and imprisonment or worse. To add to their troubles, their food supplies were beginning to run low and they'd need to more lumber for a fire if they hoped to survive the cold. The only saving grace was that the cave they were hiding in was a completely natural formation farther out into the frozen wastes that many other travelers or hunters would dare venture, especially in winter. The fact that it was a cave provided them with some rather worthwhile protection from the elements, but that'd only last for so long. Not to mention that cabin fever would begin setting in and would likely have him and his teammates at each other's throats in no time.

"I'm going out," Fafnir said suddenly as he pulled on his fur coat and headed to door. Fafnir was Jakka's longtime friend and they were brothers in all but blood. "I'm gonna head to the Tribe and get some food."

"No," Jakka said quickly. "The storm's starting to get worse and the light'll be gone in less than an hour at this rate. You'll never make it."

"You think I can't handle a little cold?" Fafnir asked in a slightly mock-accusing voice. "You forget that I grew up out here, like you."

"And you're forgetting just how quickly the cold can set in," Jakka snapped, not the least bit swayed.

"I don't know about that," Hiwon spoke up from the other side of the room as he too put on a coat. He was of Earth Kingdom ancestry, as was evident of his stocky frame and green eyes. Turning to face his self-appointed leader, Hiwon continued, "We need food, tonight. We won't have any more after breakfast tomorrow. Either we freeze to death out there, or we starve to death in here. I personally don't wanna be in here anymore either. I'm going with Fafnir."

Jakka really couldn't argue with them since they were right. But at the same time, he knew he was also right too. No matter what they did, they'd have to take a risk. These types of risks were dangerous in winter, especially since they never knew when the storms would pass. Letting out a sigh that sounded more like a growl, Jakka sternly said, "Don't dawdle out there! Get there, get food, and get back here tomorrow morning!"

Neither man wasted the time to answer as they exited the cave and headed off in the direction of the Tribe, quickly vanishing in the white-out conditions of the blizzard.

As Jakka let out a sigh of resignation, a loud cry of pain rang out from further in the cave. Getting up, Jakka headed off in the direction of the noise. At the back of the cave, the place normally reserved for supplies that they were now using to hold the Avatar brat, he found the door to the room open. Inside, he found Lyzon and Wu Jan. Wu Jan of the Earth Kingdom was holding a lantern, watching the spectacle that had become common place in recent times with a bored expression. Lyzon of the Fire Nation was standing before the young Avatar, holding her up by her dark hair as he hit her in her slightly pudgy gut. The girl had tears falling down her cheeks, futilely trying to protect herself from the blows to her stomach with one hand and trying to free her hair from Lyzon's grip with her other. To a degree, Jakka was pleased by what he was seeing.

In the early days here, they had quickly 'taught' the Avatar that any form of bending would result in instant and painful punishment. No matter the cause or reason, if she tried to use it to escape or protect herself. If they caught or suspected her of using bending, they'd block her chi and beat on her. Not enough to break bones or even leave a scar, but enough to leave her body in agony and covered in dark bruises. Of course, that was only in the early days. Nowadays, they'd just beat on her for the heck of it and she'd no longer try to ask for an explanation because she knew what she'd get in response, a slap to the face if she was _lucky_.

"What did the little brat do this time?" Jakka asked Wu Jan, distractedly watching Lyzon administer punishment.

"She wanted more food," Wu Jan answered, glaring at Korra remorselessly. "She still seems to think she's more privileged than us worthless nonbenders. Isn't that right, ya little glutton?"

"I didn't do anything!" Korra wailed breathlessly, only to be slapped across her chubby cheek.

"What did I say about being too loud?!" Lyzon snapped.

"That's enough for now, Lyzon," Jakka said. "How about for tonight's punishment, she goes without her blanket or clothes? That should teach her something about wanting what's not hers to begin with."

Wu Jan and Lyzon both grinned in response while Korra quickly bunched herself into a fetal ball to try and protect her clothing.

—**Water**—Earth—Fire—Air—

That night…

She had her chi back. That was the only good thing about her situation at the moment. She was nestled in a corner, colder than normal, nude, and covered in even more bruises than normal. Using her chi, she channeled it through her body as a type of internal liquid fire, trying to stave off the cold and protect herself from freezing to death. This had become commonplace in recent times. She'd learned how to insulate and keep her body warm like this quite quickly, but she didn't dare use it during the 'day' and it had tired her out quite fast in the beginning. Yet now, she could perform this little trick all-night long.

Korra wasn't a master tactician or schemer by any means, but that didn't stop her from formulating a plan of escape. Korra knew that it was winter outside, which meant that she could easily disappear into the snow and her captors wouldn't be able to quickly find her. The problem was somehow being able to escape. Her first choice was to sneak out the door and slip out through the front door. But the obvious danger to that was if one of the men woke up and blocked her chi again. Sad as it was, she just didn't have the power, strength, or experience to fight her way to freedom. They'd inevitably catch her, throw her back into this prison cell, and start beating on her again.

Her next choice was to burrow through the cave wall and reach the outside that way. But because she still hadn't had the opportunity to actively practice her earthbending, the best she could do was move small stones around. If she tried to dig out the wall, it'd make a lot of noise and draw attention to her. But both of those choices of escape included her wearing clothes! They didn't include her being starved for almost three days. And they most definitely didn't include her being so hurt and bruised that she couldn't move hardly an inch without flinching in pain.

Why were they doing this to her? She hadn't done anything to them! She knew the reasons they always yelled at her. About how she'd grow up to become the pinnacle of all the ruling class bending regimes and how she'd enforce the Benders' wills over the nonbenders, suppressing their free wills, and controlling them through fear, threats, and violence. That she'd become the sword and shield of the Benders who sought to oppress those who had no bending powers. But while she knew the reasons they told her, her young childish mind just didn't _understand_ them. All she knew was what and who she currently was and vaguely of what she was destined for. But that didn't mean that she knew who she'd become or what she'd do in the future. What did she care what she _might_ do in the future? She wasn't guilty of doing anything wrong _right now_ and that was all she cared about right now.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts lest she'd lose her concentration on her internal firebending, Korra returned her attention to just staring blankly at the darkness surrounding her. And it was because of the silence of the night that she heard it. A faint scraping sound was just audible to her. Turning her head in the direction the noise was coming from, Korra stared at the section of the wall that the scratching was emitting from. Crawling weakly over to it, she pressed her ear up against the cold stone and listened. It sounded like something or someone was digging, not very well or quickly, and…was that a whine? Was there an animal in there?

Reaching out, she knocked lightly on the stone wall, trying to get a reaction from within. And she most definitely got one, the scratching noise stopped momentarily. After a few moments, a slightly louder whine came out of the wall. Mimicking the noise as best she could, Korra let out a whine of her own, trying to reassure whatever was inside the wall. It seemed to work since the scratching noise started up again, more frantic than before.

Standing up on unsteady feet, Korra summoned her chi and took a strong stance. With a forceful yank backwards, she pulled a small section of the wall out of place. Tumbling out of the displaced rock with a small gust of cold air, a small, white creature dropped to the floor with a soft whine of pain. Coming forward with caution, Korra stared at the small creature in curiosity that overrode the pain in her body. Though it was small, even for a newborn puppy, Korra easily recognized it for what it was. It was a polar bear-dog puppy! The child in Korra that had somehow managed to survive this long bubbled to the surface and caused her to let out a small squeal of delight at the adorable creature in front of her.

Moving forward, she reached out a hand tentatively for the puppy. The puppy looked up at her with wide, frightful eyes. Korra merely smiled lovingly as she gingerly sat to the ground a short distance away from the puppy and whispered, "Hello there! My name's Korra and I'm the Avatar! Who are you?"

The puppy let out a pained whine as it tried to stand to its feet. But it's front left foreleg collapsed under the weight, causing the bear-dog puppy to let out another whine of pain. Panicking slightly at the loud noise, Korra reacted on instinct. With a waterbending move, she summoned some ice and snow out of the tunnel the puppy had made and brought it to her hands, liquefying it.

Crouching down before the puppy, she gently encased the injured foreleg with the cold water and started willing her chi into the wound. Almost instantly, the water started to glow faintly as it acquired healing properties and the puppy stopped whining in pain. Focusing on the wound, Korra pushed as much of her chi as she could into it, encouraging it close and heal itself. She didn't know how long it had taken, but by the end of the healing session, she was next to exhausted as nearly all of her chi was spent.

But her efforts weren't for naught, for the puppy made its pleasure of being healed known as it pounced on her and started licking her face lovingly. The bear-dog's wet tongue dragging across her brought out the first faint giggles of laughter that Korra had expressed since her capture. Hesitantly hugging the puppy, Korra, marveled at how incredibly warm the puppy was. Its fur was truly something she envied right now, nude as she was.

"I'm happy to help, little one," she said quietly, smiling faintly before it vanished as she remembered her sad reality. "But you really should leave now. I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

As she turned her attention back towards the tunnel, she stared at it blankly for a moment before it suddenly dawned on her. The puppy must've dug in from the outside to escape the cold blizzard! She's finally got an escape route! It took all of her self-control to prevent Korra from crying out in joy at this revelation. Looking back at the puppy she was still hugging, she gave it another slight squeeze as she buried her face in its warm fur. "Thank you, my friend! You've helped me so much! I finally can leave here!"

Later that night, she had eventually managed to push the poor puppy back into the tunnel it had made and replaced the rock with earthbending. She didn't expect the puppy to stay. It was a puppy after all, so it must've had a mother nearby that was looking for it. Plus, it was wild and she didn't have any food for it. Since it apparently couldn't really dig that well through solid rock, Korra was sure that it'd just go off in another direction to find a more suitable ground to hibernate in or something.

What Korra didn't realize at the time was that due to her selfless act of healing the female puppy, she'd earned its undying loyalty. A loyalty made even fiercer since her mother had been killed protecting her from an ambush of polar leopard a week earlier.

—**Water**—Earth—Fire—Air—

The next day…

Fafnir and Hiwon didn't return at the appointed time and it was really starting to worry Jakka. Did his friend and accomplice manage to make it to the Tribe safely? Did they get lost and freeze to death? Did they get captured by the White Lotus for questioning? What was taking them so long to get back?

The storm had miraculously let up sometime after noon somewhat. The winds were still bitter cold, but it was a major step up from what it had been. Climbing to the top of the rock cliff that the cave was nestled in, Jakka took out a telescope and carefully surveyed the surrounding snowy plains, searching for some sign of his companions. But there was none. '_Dammit, where are you, Fafnir?_'

Thoughts about the potential hold-ups and danger, and worrying for his friend's safety accompanied Jakka all the way back into the cave. He and the others could still give them until tomorrow to return. But they'd be going without dinner and they'd _have_ to leave or go hunting for real the next day. Hunting in winter was a very dangerous task, which is why the Tribe's usually stuck close to the shore where the tiger-seals stayed and fishing was much safer (though still quite dangerous).

Loud yells at the back of the cabin distracted Jakka from his thoughts. Growling in aggravation, he moved back to see what was happening back there _now_. Upon opening the door, he found something very different from the usual beatings taking place. Dressed in only a thin undershirt, the Avatar brat was being held to the ground by Wu Jan. She was yelling as loudly as she could, trying to stop Lyzon from hitting a small white creature that had bitten onto his hand. Lyzon was pulling at the creature's neck fur, but it wasn't enough to dislodge the teeth that were clamped down powerfully onto his wrist, which was bleeding quite heavily. It took only a moment, but Jakka recognized the little white fluff ball as a polar bear-dog puppy. Where did that come from?

"_**LEAVE HER ALONE!**_" Korra was yelling, fighting futilely against Wu Jan to reach the puppy. Jakka quickly moved forward and grabbed the puppy, prying the little beast off Lyzon's hand.

"_**What's**__ going on here?!_" Jakka demanded loudly, cutting off both Korra and Lyzon. "_Where did __**this thing**__ come from?!_"

"I caught the little bitch sneaking it out through the hole in the wall!" Lyzon answered, cradling his hand as he gestured towards the wall. It was then that Jakka noticed the gaping hole that had been burrowed through it. Turning back to the Avatar with a fierce glare, Lyzon growled, "So, the great Avatar has finally decided to try and make her escape, eh?"

"Lyzon—" Jakka started.

"Go ahead and run!" Lyzon continued, blatantly ignoring Jakka in his anger. "You'll _freeze to death_ in less than a _day!_"

"Lyzon!"

"And even if you _did_ survive, _nowhere_ you go will protect you from _us! We'll __**always**__ find you!_"

"LYZON!" Jakka barked out forcefully. "Stow it! We won't get paid if we don't deliver the Avatar to Amon alive and in good health! Go walk it off!"

Lyzon glared heatedly at Jakka but made no reply. Turning his attention to little puppy that was growling at him despite the position he held it in, Jakka stared at the puppy for a moment. Then a sinister sneer spread across his face as he turned back to his companions. "Looks like we're lucky today, boys. Who wants roast polar bear-dog for dinner tonight?"

Lyzon's glare turned immediately into a sadistic sneer as he stared hungrily at the little puppy. Wu Jan just snorted but made no response. But it was Korra who had the most vocal response.

"NO!" she yelled, struggling even more frantically. "LEAVE HER ALONE! DON'T HURT HER!"

"Shut up, brat," Wu Jan said, slapping her to encourage her silence. Jakka ignored this as he moved to take the puppy further inside to start butchering and cooking the potential meal. But his coldhearted dismissal turned out to be fatal mistake. For it was with just a mere glance between Korra and the bear-dog puppy that the puppy seemed to understand its situation with crystal clarity. It let out a whined whimper, begging for help from the sole person who cared about it.

That was the straw that finally broke the camelephant's back. In that moment of emotional turmoil and constant physical pain, Korra lost her fear as she gave into an anger that was quite focused (if somewhat weak). With a cry of anger at her situation, despair for the puppy's fate, and hatred for her captors, Korra suddenly felt an alien but familiar presence wash over her. For the briefest of moments, she was scared of what it was. But when a surge of tremendous power erupted within her, blasting through the instinctive floodgates that every bender possessed as a means of self-control, Korra lost her fear of what had taken root inside her.

When that happened, her eyes suddenly lit up with a blinding white light as she entered the Avatar State. With a scream of fury, the instincts of thousands of past lives pumped into her, causing her to kick out with her feet. The earth immediately bent to her overpowering force of will, shooting upwards in a series of thick stakes of rock. The attack was so sudden and unexpected that neither Jakka nor Lyzon were prepared for it, which resulted in them getting impaled through their guts as they were lifted several feet off the ground. Jakka immediately dropped the puppy as he instinctively grasped for his wounds.

Wu Jan dropped Korra on reflex and surprise. This proved to be his final mistake as well. Korra jabbed an elbow backwards, launching another series of earth spikes up towards him. Though not caught by surprise, he was still unable to dodge or defend himself since he'd unintentionally been caught in a corner and thus unable to properly move. Like his companions, the spikes impaled him, keeping him suspended off of the ground as he slouched forward, dying relatively slowly and quite painfully.

Her deed done, the Avatar State slowly receded back into the recesses of her body and mind. Looking upon the carnage she'd just wrought, Korra started trembling violently as she tried to suppress her feelings. It wasn't until the bear-dog puppy came up to her and nudged her leg with its wet nose that she finally broke down, crying out loudly as tears fell down her eyes, cuddling into the soft and warm fur of her sole companion.

—**Water**—Earth—Fire—Air—

**158 ASC  
South Pole**

It had been nearly two months since the attack on the perspective Avatar's home, eight long and painful weeks for the Order and Katara as they tried in vain to find the missing child. A child who they sadly still weren't entirely sure was actually the Avatar in the first place. But Katara knew it. She could feel it in her old bones. That missing child, little Korra, was most definitely the one. No matter if Korra was or not, the entire Southern Water Tribe was in an uproar. Katara wouldn't even be surprised if the rest of the world was in a similar state as them. But given just how limited they were in free transportation in winter, it was still a coin toss if news of the disappearance had reached that far yet.

It was too much of a coincidence to her. Katara had long ago accepted the fact that certain events that coincided with one another in unique and indiscernible patterns happened because they were being guided by the hands of fate. So, the fact that the home of a perspective Avatar candidate had been raided, the parents killed, the child kidnapped, and still no sign of her or who her kidnappers had been led Katara to believe that Korra was most assuredly the one. And if she truly was, Katara couldn't help but notice a curious trend that seemed to be taking shape in the line of the Avatar descendants. Which was, relatively early in their lives, they'd vanish from the world for unknown reasons, leaving the world to sort itself out during their absence. Katara only hoped that Korra wouldn't be gone for nearly as long as Aang's initial disappearance had been.

It was these thoughts that were drifting idly through her mind as she sat at the window of her home, staring out at the place that had once been her childhood home. How it had changed over the years, and still was!

Katara's home was located on an elevated mound of earth and ice, giving her a rather splendid view of the Tribe. Due to her considerable renown and profession during her younger years, Katara's home was one of the few who presently had glass-lined windows. The fire crackled, providing both heat and light as it steadily cooked the stew she was brewing. Wrapped up in a thick set of blue leather and white fur clothing and a blanket over her shoulders, she couldn't help but sigh in slight annoyance. As much as she loved her home, she had grown to quite dislike the sheer coldness that winters brought. Cold that was especially painful for her old bones and rickety joints.

"Where are you, Korra?" she asked herself, a frown on etched on her face as she stared out into the darkness. The sun had set a half hour ago, but there was still a sliver of light on the horizon. Though this may not have seemed like much, the faint amount of light caused the snow and ice to seemingly glow in the darkness, making travel surprisingly easy thanks to the low visibility. But Katara's attention wasn't focused on the Tribe below her. It was out towards the frozen tundra outside the protective walls of the Tribe. "Come back to us and please be safe."

—**Water**—Earth—Fire—Air—

Harbor

It was unfortunate for Katara. If she had turned her attention not out towards the plains, but towards the harbor, she'd have seen a small shadowed silhouette darting between the buildings. The silhouette was a young girl, dressed in a fur coats, boats, and leggings that were too large for her small frame. Korra kept the hood of the coat up, partially hiding her face as she scurried through the Tribe.

Most normal children, when getting out of a hostage situation, would've been compelled to rush home, to safety and security. But Korra, who had been taken from her home with her parents killed, had lost any perception of 'safety and security' in the comfortable walls of home. Her home had vanished with her parents. Not only that, but during her captivity, the men had at various times told her that they worked for someone named 'Amon' and that he had influence and power that was far outreaching. That nowhere she went would be safe for long.

Naïve though it might have been, Korra took those boastful threats to heart.

That was why she was sneaking through the Tribe for the harbor. She needed to get away from the South Pole, quickly, before Amon could send more men after her. Korra was not a scaredy-cat by any means, but this mysterious 'Amon' person filled her with an irrational fear. If he had the command of ruthless kidnappers and terrorists as those men had been, what else did he have? Who else worked for him and why?

Reaching the docks, she eyed the four ships that were presently in the harbor. Two of them were clearly cargo ships that were still in the process of unloading their wares for the Tribe. Another ship looked to be an old school fishing boat, if the numerous nets and ropes were anything to go by. The last ship was anchored offshore and its outline was a little vague from the distance. But unless her eyes were deceiving her, that ship seemed to be a warship.

"Oh no," Korra whispered quietly. "Is Amon already looking for me?!"

A small nudge on her side drew Korra's attention. It was the polar bear-dog puppy, still following her. Korra still wasn't sure why though. She had thought the little puppy would flee as soon as she saw that Korra was heading towards a human settlement. Against her expectations, the puppy had still accompanied her, albeit much closer than she had been.

"What is it, girl?" Korra asked quietly, looking down at her companion.

The puppy was biting on the hem of her coat, trying to pull her over towards something. Curious, Korra allowed herself to be pulled along. Seeing that her friend was no longer fighting against her, the puppy released her and bounced energetically over to a pile of boxed crates. Coming up to one in particular, the puppy sniffed it intently before looking back at Korra. Catching the hint, Korra climbed up atop the crate and pulled back the lid to see what was inside. There, much to the puppy's knowing joy, was a huge pile of tiger-seal meat carefully packed inside and frozen within thick chunks of ice.

Practically drooling, the polar bear-dog dropped down inside the crate and started scraping away at the ice, trying frantically to reach the juicy meat trapped therein. Korra couldn't help but giggle softly at the scene. Not for the first time, she found herself rather grateful she'd found a friend in the young puppy.

"How much more until we can call it a night?" a voice off the side said, attracting Korra's attention immediately.

"Psst!" Korra hissed to the puppy, trying to get its attention so she could grab it and run somewhere away. But the puppy ignored her, continuing the dig through the ice. Glancing fearfully over to where the voices were approaching from, Korra made a snap decision and climbed inside the crate herself, pulling the lid over the top. In the darkness, she waited quietly, grabbing onto the puppy and pulling it into her lap.

"This'll be the last load for tonight," a muffled voice from just outside the stack of crates said. "And tomorrow, the captain says it's onto Omashu."

The next fifteen minutes were quite stressful for the young Avatar hiding in the crate as her hiding place was lifted, among others, onto a truck and transported somewhere. After the truck ride was finished, the crates were then offloaded and placed somewhere. Waiting almost ten minutes after the voices had vanished, Korra released the puppy and carefully tipped the crate cover open. They were inside the cargo hold of one of the ships she'd been examining earlier.

Sighing heavily as relief washed through her, Korra sat back down on the ice. Igniting a small flame in the palm of her hand for light, Korra felt a small smile return to her face as she saw her furry companion. The polar bear-dog was once again digging through the ice, finally managing to pry one of the slabs of meat from icy confines and was attempting to chew it.

Taking the meat from the puppy, Korra focused on her Firebending into a small, controlled flame that encased the meat, thawing and cooking it within moments. Breaking off a chunk for herself, she handed the rest back to the puppy who happily started devouring.

"Well, at least we got plenty of meat now," Korra murmured to herself between bites. So much food so easily available was truly a blessing for the starved, fearful child as she unknowingly began her trek around the world.

* * *

(**Author's Note**) Eh, I was bored and have recently gotten interested in the new _'Legend of Korra'_ series. I've always been a fan of the original series, childish though it may have been, and I had high hopes for a more mature version given Korra's 5+ years in age over Aang at the start of their respective series. But, like many fans, I was pretty let down by how abruptly the numerous issues were resolved in canon. Granted, the producers weren't expecting the series to be a hit, but it's still kinda annoying.

This story is entirely a side-project of mine that I'll be working on whenever the whim strikes me...unless I get a lot of positive feedback and people want me to continue it quickly.

Regardless, this chapter and likely the next two are more a type of 'extended prologue' for establishing the differences in Korra's life from canon. I just ask that you be patient with me until I get to the _real_ story.

Also, for those you who don't know, 'Shenling' is Chinese for 'Spirit'. But that'll be covered later on in the story.


	2. Equalists in Omashu!

**The Legend of Shenling  
**By: Tellemicus Sundance  
_#02—Equalists in Omashu!_

**158 ASC  
Kolau Mountains, Earth Kingdom**

"_**WOOOOOOOW!**_"

That wild cry of complete awe signaled Korra's first glimpse of the mountain city Omashu. With its towering peaks, miles of mail slides, and the vast chasm it was built out of. From the outside, it didn't seem like the city really had changed all that much since its founding many centuries ago. But as the little tanned girl stared up at the towering behemoth before her, she could only gawk at its incredibly impressive sight. The thought of having a grand adventure and seeing the world like Aang and his friends had long ago appealed to the little girl, fueling a potent wanderlust in her. And she clung to that dream in desperation to keep her mind off the tragedy she'd escaped from in the South Pole.

Korra was still trying to acclimate to the new, much warmer lands she'd found herself in. She was dressed in a traditional long-sleeved Earth Kingdom green shirt and traveling pants, small brown leather boots, and tied tightly around her stomach was her still-too-large Water Tribe blue fur coat. Although it was still winter, she was considerably farther north and the temperatures (while still cold) were nowhere near as bone-chilling to her. But the sun was out in a bright, cloudless day, warming her small frame quickly. Plus, she was also using her Firebending powers to insulate her from the winter's chilly winds.

A soft purring sound from the polar bear-dog puppy beside her drew Korra's attention momentarily. The little puppy was also staring up at the massive construction with, if Korra's imagination was correct, equal surprise and awe as she herself was feeling. Smiling down at the puppy as it looked at her, Korra said, "I had no _idea_ they could make building so _tall_, Naga!"

Naga just snorted, sitting down on the ground and begun scratching the lingering itch behind her ear, trying to seem like she wasn't as impressed as she actually was. Giggling at her friend's dismissive behavior, Korra began bouncing on her feet in anticipation at what was before her.

"Hey, keep up, kid!" a loud voice called from ahead of her. "You don't wanna spend the night out here, do you?"

"We're coming!" Korra yelled back exuberantly, running back to the caravan with Naga at her heels.

Korra couldn't believe her luck. When the ship she'd stalled aboard had arrived off the coast only a few short days away from Omashu, she and Naga had managed to jump overboard and swim ashore with no one the wiser. Once ashore, Korra's curiosity about the place she'd heard of at the harbor got the better of her. So she travelled back towards the harbor and watched as the ship unloaded some of its goods into an awaiting caravan. Approaching one of the caravan members, she'd asked if she could accompany them to Omashu. Though they'd first refused and told her to go home, they eventually decided to let her join them when she told them of her parents' deaths, despite their misgivings of lugging a useless child around the countryside.

Since then, the two little ones had actually proven themselves to be much more useful than a hindrance to the caravan. Korra had used her budding Earthbending powers to clear a road that had been covered in an avalanche, a feat that left many of her traveling companions speechless since they'd _vastly_ underestimated Korra's raw bending power due to her young age. And later Naga had caught the scent of a herd of boar-q-pines that were in the area. Forewarned, the caravan took a detour around the herd and managed to get away without any loss of cargo or injury, something that rarely happened when boar-q-pines were involved.

"So, Korra," old man Xian-Xian said as the girl caught up to him. "What do you think of Omashu so far?"

"It's _HUGE!_" Korra said immediately, still staring up at it with awe. "Why did they make it so big? Is there a lot of people there? Is this a temple for the Spirits? How do we get inside? Where do they get their water from? Why do—?"

"Alright, alright, Korra," Xian-Xian interrupted, an exasperated smile on his face. If the little girl wasn't so damned cute and earnest in everything she did, he would've gotten annoyed of her company only ten minutes after she joined up. It was such a shame that her parents had died, for he'd have liked to meet the people who were responsible for the birth of this child of boundless energy and curiosity. "You'll get your answers as soon as we get there. Just have some patience."

"What's pay-tense?" Korra asked, accidentally mispronouncing the foreign word.

Xian-Xian just chuckled at the innocent question.

—水—**土**—火—风—

Market Street, Omashu

"Come one, come all!" a loud voice called. "Try my fruits and salads! Straight from the Fire Nation and they're going fast!"

Korra stared at the stand of exotic fruits and vegetables. She'd never seen anything like them in the South Pole and they were just causing her mouth to water in hunger at the desire to taste each and every one of them. Then another loud voice attracted her attention.

"Fresh fish! We catch 'em, you buy 'em!" The promise of meat immediately caught the young girl's attention. While she would like to try new foods, she loved fish and meats deeply because they were a very large part of the Southern Tribe's diet. If the fruits caused her mouth to water, she was now outright drooling as she ran over to the next stand to hungrily examine what was on display.

"Hey, little girl, would you like a pretty necklace?" another voice from nearby called out. "A pretty necklace for a pretty lady!"

Like a lightning bolt, Korra shot over to the stand of jewelry and colored stones and gems. Her wide blue eyes were dancing wildly as she took in the many different types of necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, belts, and other various jewelries. All of them were so beautiful, she wanted them all!

"See anything you like, kid?" the stand manager asked, watching the child carefully in case she decided to try and steal from him. Sure, they were protected behind a base case, but that wouldn't even hinder a bender which she just might be.

Looking up at the man, Korra couldn't help but say, "They're _sooo_ pretty!"

Smiling in pride at his wares, the man said, "But of course! Only the best from Fangfang's Shop of Exotic Jewels and Stones, gathered from all over the world!"

"Wooow!" Korra said, staring in the case again. As she was browsing, a glint of green caught her eye. Looking over at it, she saw that it was a green and golden necklace in the shape of the Earth Kingdom's national emblem. It was a beautiful piece of art to Korra's untrained eye, a bright green interior with shining golden edges and a golden chain that looped through the center of it. "Ohhhh! That one! That one! I want _that one!_"

Retrieving the necklace, the man smiled at the little girl. "A fine choice, young lady. That'll be 45 yuans, please."

The price of the item caused Korra to stammer and flinch to a halt as her wide eyes widened in realization. Although she didn't have any money herself, old man Xian-Xian had been kind enough to give her fifty yuans as 'payment for services provided'. Poor as she was, Korra knew that she couldn't spend her money recklessly since she needed to eat and had no training in how to hunt or cook raw foods in the wild. Plus, in the city, she'd probably need all the money she could get, for one reason or another.

Seeing her hesitation, the man decided to do something he rarely did. "Alright, maybe that's a little too expensive for someone as cute as you. How about 35 yuans?"

Eyes gleaming with hope that he wasn't tricking her, Korra nodded quite happily at the lower price. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her handful of yuans and carefully counted out the amount. A few moments later, Korra was jumping happily down the street wearing her new necklace that was bouncing upon her chest. Watching the little girl for a moment, the man at the stand just sighed to himself as he turned back to his business. '_Cute kid_,' he thought absentmindedly. '_She's gonna be a real knockout when she gets older, that's for sure._'

Eager to see what else was on sale in Market Street as she happily toyed with her new necklace, Korra walked down the street in a more sedate pace. A slight tugging at her pants leg brought Korra out of her thoughts as she looked down at Naga. "What is it, girl?"

As if in reply, Naga stuck her nose into the air as she smelled something positively delicious close by and moved off in its direction. Understanding came to Korra immediately as she gave chase. "Hey, come back, Naga! Stop! We can't eat anything here yet!"

But the puppy ignored her as she ran towards a stand on the other side of the street. As she approached it, Korra quickly realized it was a Water Tribe-themed stand that sold tiger-seal pelts and various other knickknacks that were rather common in the Tribes. But what caught Korra and Naga's attentions were the strips of seasoned tiger-seal jerky that were on display at the back of the stand.

Catching up to her friend as she reached the display and started pawing at it in a feeble attempt to reach the meat, Korra grabbed Naga and picked her up in her arms so they could both eye the tantalizingly-familiar food hungrily.

"Would you like to try a small sample, little miss?" a Water Tribe woman asked as she moved over to the pair, a look of surprise on her face at the sight of a young girl with a polar bear-dog puppy. The woman had no idea it was even _possible_ to tame one of those things!

"YES!" Korra all but yelled, Naga echoing her cry with loud barks. When the lady didn't move to comply, Korra arched an eyebrow as she tried to figure out why. Then something her mother told her entered her mind. Calming down as quickly as she could, in a quieter and more humble voice, Korra tentatively asked, "Please…?"

The woman nodded as she finally moved to collect two small chunks the size of her fingers and gave them to the girl. Korra happily devoured hers instantly, chewing on it with a near-blissful expression on her face. Naga managed to wrestle herself around at just the right angle to snatch her own piece out of Korra's distracted hand.

"How much they cost?!" Korra asked hungrily.

"3 yuans a piece," the woman answered easily.

Without any hesitation, Korra set Naga down before reaching into her pocket and pulling out the remainder of her money. "I want this many!" Moments later, Korra was the proud owner of five strips of jerky, two of which she gave to Naga. Chewing on a jerky strip, Korra moved further down the street to explore some more.

"—join the Equalists!" a loud voice was yelling into a megaphone. "Join and we will bring down the tyranny of the oppressive benders!"

Against her will, a shiver of fear instantly shot up Korra's back at the all-too-familiar words and phrases the man was speaking. Looking over towards the source of the voice, Korra spotted a rather sizable crowd surrounding a man standing upon a soap box who was yelling. She continued watching and listening, her fear began to change into something else: anger and curiosity. Though her captors had frequently scolded and yelled at her about 'equality and tyranny', they never stopped to answer her questions or explain their reasons in simpler words for her to understand. Maybe she figure out why they did such terrible things to her family if she spoke to this guy? Gathering her courage, she moved forward through the crowd to face her 'foe'.

"For centuries, benders have controlled the lives of us nonbenders," the man was yelled empathetically, trying to convey all his hatred of benders to the surrounding people, trying to get their support or at least get them to consider the Equalist point-of-view. The protester knew he was a considerable distance away from the Equalist headquarters in Republic City and that Omashu was traditionally a city with very pro-bending leanings given its history. But that was why it was even _more_ important to sow the seeds of equality within its walls! It was a mission from Amon that the protester took _very_ seriously.

"Just look at this city!" the man continued. "Until the Fire Nation had seized control and started remodeling it, you couldn't even open a _door_ without an _Earthbender_ to do it for you! They kept us from being able to live in their great city simply by the way it was _built!_ They _extort_ and _control_ us in such subtle ways! _Join the Equalists_ and we can _finally_ bring about a world of _true justice_, _freedom_, and _equality_ among _all_ classes of people!"

"What does that mean?" Korra asked loudly as she finally reached the front of the group. Her question instantly attracted the attention of everyone in the audience, the people closest to her stepping away slightly to make more room for the little girl and provide a clearer view of her for the others. "Why do you not like Earthbenders, mister?"

"I'll tell you why, little girl," the man said, still speaking into the megaphone for the benefit of the crowd. "It's because _benders_ are _bullies_ who _hurt, kill_, and _rob_ people who _can't_ bend. They make you feel like _slaves_ and _animals_, _pets_ for them to _play with_ until they get _bored_ and throw us _out of our homes_ like _trash!_"

"Why would they do something dumb like that?" Korra asked, trying to keep her temper under control. That man's loud voice was really starting to hurt her ears.

The man just snorted. "I guess you're still too _young_ to understand anything, _kid_. Come back when you're _adult!_"

"So, if I join you guys, you'll take bending away from everyone?" Korra asked, ignoring the man's dismissal. "Wouldn't that just mean _you guys_ are the bullies now? You take away other people's bending just because _you_ don't have it? How is _that_ fair?"

Growling, the Equalist protester realized it probably wouldn't be very easy to send her away. Plus, he could already tell her naïve questions were affecting the crowd, swaying the delicate balance away from his stance. She was (probably unintentionally) making the Equalists sound like the bad guys. That just wouldn't do! "This world is an _unfair place_, little girl! _Everyday_ crimes happen, people die, and families' lives are broken because _benders_ try to keep us _nonbenders_ in line like _livestock!_"

"So if nobody had bending, the world would be a better place?" Korra asked. Though her question was innocent enough, the anger in her stance and voice was obvious to everyone.

"_Of course it would be!_" the protester yelled, glad he finally had gotten control back. "Without _benders_ telling everyone what to do, _everyone_ would have an _equal_ chance to rise up and make themselves into someone _great!_ There would be _no more_ bending crimes and _no one_ able to _oppress_ us anymore!"

"But people would _still hurt one another!_" Korra yelled, losing her temper. "They would _still_ steal and kill! How is _that_ a _better world?!_"

"That is utterly _ridiculous_, girl! _Without bending_, people wouldn't have the _means_ or _need_ to _oppress_ others!" the protester asked snidely, he knew he really got the girl now. But he was trying to understand just why she was so against him. Unless she was bender, she shouldn't… "Let me guess, little girl. _You're a __**bender**__!_"

Korra crossed her arms as she glared at the man heatedly, a pout forming on her face at him figuring out her secret. Knowing her secret now, the protester grinned, "I bet you _really_ wanna knock me off of here, _don't you?_ To _shut me up_ because you _know_ I'm _right!_"

"_No!_" Korra yelled, dropping her arms as she leaned forward challengingly. "I want to know _why_ some _bad guys_ came to my home and _killed my parents!_" That shout actually caught everyone by surprise, even the protester who wasn't able to form a reply before Korra continued. "My parents _weren't_ benders! I didn't do _anything_ to hurt _anyone!_ So why did some guys calling themselves '_Equalists'_ kill my _mommy and daddy?!_ They hurt me really, _really, __**really**_ bad before I got away, but I didn't do anything to them! _And __**they're**__ supposed to be the __**good guys?!**_"

"_Ha!_" the protester laughed, jabbing his finger accusingly at Korra. "Nice _fairy tale_, little girl. You _really_ had me going there for a second! But _no Equalist_ would stoop the level of a _bender!_ Why don't you _leave_ before I call the _authorities_ and have them take you _back to school_ like a _good little girl?_"

Having herself called a liar, her parents' death mocked, her captors' actions dismissed, and then ordered to leave because the man didn't believe her was far more than enough to break Korra's self-control. Raising her foot and dropping it powerfully to the ground, Korra sent a large block of stone shooting upwards under the soap box the protester stood on. The unexpected jostle of his platform caused the man to lose his footing and fall to the ground, dropping his megaphone in the process. Before he could climb to his feet, a series of rocks shot up around his hands and feet, keeping him trapped to the ground and rendering him unable to move.

"_You see!_" He yelled dramatically to the crowd, who were still recoiling in surprise. "_This is __**exactly**__ what I—!_" That was when Naga made her presence known. The little puppy had walked up to him, sniffing him before turning slightly and raising her own hind leg. A line of yellow urine hitting his face quickly silenced the man's rant as he tried to free himself and spit out of the small amount of fluid that had sneaked into his big mouth.

Korra laughed happily as she crouched down and scooped up Naga after she was finished peeing. Scratching her friend lovingly, Korra smiled, "Good girl, Naga!"

"What's going on here!" a loud voice yelled from the back of the crowd. The crowd quickly dispersed, allowing a group of green and yellow uniformed individuals to come forward.

"HELP!" the protester yelled. "I'm being oppressed by this little earthbender!"

Korra turned an ugly glare at the man. The irony was not lost on her. He was pleading to what were likely Earthbenders for help not even five minutes after he'd just been damning them to the deepest pits of suffering in the Spirit World. Before Korra could formulate a response, the lead Earthbender launched a pair of arched rocks at Korra, quickly snagging her hands and binding them together behind her back as the arches melded into a single ring.

"Let me go!" Korra yelled, futilely trying to use her earthbending to free herself. But her lack of experience and practice in earthbending prevented her from doing such. As she was struggling, Naga leapt between her and the men, growling loudly as she bared her little fangs at them in warning. But before the puppy could move to attack or defend, another Earthbender moved and clamped the puppy's paws to the ground, locking her in place despite her struggles. "_Leave Naga alone!_ She didn't do _anything_…anything _bad_, at least!"

"You're in big enough trouble as it is, girl," the lead Earthbender said as he walked forward and freed the trapped protester, who sneered condescendingly at her. The Earthbender ignored this as he turned back to Korra. "I don't care whether or not he made you mad, everyone is free to speak their own opinions. And by using bending to hurt and shut him up, you are breaking the law. Not to mention you should be in school, little girl. Your parents are going to hear about this, rest assured."

"My mommy and daddy are dead!" Korra said, glaring pointedly at the protester, daring him to challenge her on the validity of her statement.

The confession brought the officers up short momentarily as they glanced among themselves for a moment. Then the leader shrugged and started pushing Korra between her shoulder blades in the direction they had come from. One of the other officers picked up Naga by the scruff of her neck to prevent the puppy from trying to bite him with her powerful jaws. Yelling out to the remainder of the crowd, the leader called out, "Move along! Nothing else to see here! Move along!" The crowd quickly dispersed, talking quietly amongst themselves about the strange argument they'd bore witness to.

Some of the people stuck around long enough to see the loud girl and her pet get put into the back of the police truck, locking the door to prevent any escape. Muffled yelling and small fists banging on the metal quickly ensued as the girl tried to futilely free herself. The Earthbenders quickly climbed into the front and started up the vehicle, driving it off in the direction of the police headquarters.

—水—**土**—火—风—

Li Wei was a poor, orphan boy almost in his teen years. He wore tattered clothes and had a very scruffy appearance. For all intents and purposes, he was the very image of a common street rat. The only thing he had going for him in life was the fact that he was an Earthbender, something that he practiced constantly so that he could put it to use with skill and ease as he grew older.

Li Wei had been in the crowd when the protester was having his argument with the little tanned girl. He had heard everything and agreed with a lot of the girl's opinions. He had quite enjoyed seeing the girl give the man a taste of dirt when he outright called her a liar, even more so when her puppy pissed on the man. That had been hilarious!

Then the police showed up and essentially arrested the girl just because she had lashed out. Even without knowing that she'd lost her parents to those Equalist bastards, Li Wei would've tried to help her just out of the principle that she'd tried to stand up for all benders, even himself indirectly. But the fact that none of the adults who had also been there, witnessed the whole spectacle themselves, and not spoken up in defense of the girl was what really clinched it for Li Wei.

Racing along the mail slides on a chunk of rock he'd bent, Li Wei eyed the truck carefully. Carefully rocking his platform, he launched himself into the air and landed unsteadily upon the top of moving truck. Catching his balance, Li Wei shot his fist up, earthbending a boulder out of the road just in front of one of the tires, he quickly jumped off the truck afterwards. The boulder acted like a ramp, sending the truck careening to one side and causing it to tip and crash onto its side. Glass shattered as the men inside cried out in surprise, fear, and pain as the vehicle tumbled out of control. It was truly sad that while Satomobiles were fast, convenient, and relatively cheap these days, they were severely _lacking_ in terms of safety features.

Once the vehicle came a relative halt some distance away from the protruding boulder, Li Wei hefted up a large rock and dropped it upon the back of the truck. The heavy weight caused the backdoor to compress and quickly give way, popping open like a can of sardines. Racing up to the exposed back, Li Wei looked inside and spotted the little girl within just managing to climb to her feet, gingerly holding her arm with one hand.

"Come on!" Li Wei said. "We need to go! Now! Unless you wanna get into even more trouble!"

"I-I-I'm coming!" Korra managed to get out as she carefully picked up her unconscious polar bear-dog in her good arm.

With some help from Li Wei, she was able to get clear of the truck and stumble around the corner. Not a moment later there was a loud explosion as a plume of black smoke and debris shot into the air from around the corner. Korra made to go back to look for what had exploded, but Li Wei grabbed her and pulled her away. Stopping before a manhole, he earthbended it up, quickly starting to lower himself down it, he said, "Quick! Inside! We'll be safer down here!"

"O-O-Okay," Korra stammered, not sure how she'd be able to get down there with one arm while carrying Naga. But that was solved as Li Wei reached the bottom and held out his arms to catch the puppy, which Korra hesitantly and carefully dropped down to him. She quickly descended down into the pipe below as he earthbent the manhole lid back into place.

* * *

(**Author's Note**) Originally, I wanted to extend this chapter to include all of the year of 158 ASC, but I kinda lost steam towards the end here.

So, Korra's already getting into and out of trouble and she's scarcely been in the Earth Kingdom for a few weeks. What's that tell you of what she'll be getting up to? Although I kinda hope I portrayed her properly here. It's kinda hard to write a character like Korra; her spunky attitude, recent traumatic experiences, and being in an entirely new land far from home. Still, I hope it came out alright.

But, _seriously_ people, please _tell me something!_ Should I continue writing this story _or not?!_


	3. When the Pupil is Ready

**The Legend of Shenling  
**By: Tellemicus Sundance  
_#03—When the Pupil is Ready…_

**158 ASC, one week later  
Near Omashu, Earth Kingdom**

It was the time of year when the freeze of winter was starting to cease and spring was beginning its first hesitating grasp to return summer to the world. Days of bright sunlight warmed frigid lands, thawing what had frozen. But the air still held winter's cold embrace, as it so potently and frequently reminded all living beings thanks to its constant winds blowing the cold temperatures.

An elderly tanned man of nearly 84 let out a sigh of relief as he stepped back into the lee of a rock outcropping while leaning somewhat heavily upon a cane. He was hiding from the cold winds as he basked in the warm sun. The old man wore a heavy, blue furred Water Tribe coat with a hood up to shield his water blue eyes and his long white hair from the bright light. Hidden from view under his fur coat and bound securely to his back, waist, and shoulders were six water skins that were almost ready to burst from the large amounts of water they contained. His face bore deep age lines around his eyes and from the bridge of his nose to the corners of his lips. Along the right side of his tanned face, running from under his jaw, covering most of cheek, and arcing back towards his ear where it disappeared into his hair was a jagged burn scar that had faded with time.

"OI!" a loud voice called from ahead of him. "What's the hold up, old man? Is your age finally catching up to you?"

"I can still drive you into the dirt, Hiruzen," the old man snapped, glaring at his companion and he unconsciously tightened his grip on his cane a bit. He hated it when people, especially the comparatively younger man, made comments about his age. He could feel it _every time_ he woke up in the mornings and he did _not_ enjoy being reminded of it by everyone else! "And despite my _age_, my hearing hasn't faded in the _least_."

"Whatever, Pakka," Hiruzen said, turning dismissively away from his companion as he waved his arm forward beckoningly. "Just stop falling behind! We're almost to Omashu. Then you can rest your weary old feet in some bath or hot spring or whatever. Let's just _get there_ already!"

Hiruzen was half of Pakka's age at 34 and right in his prime. Unlike his waterbending companion, who had a rather slim and athletic build, Hiruzen was a man of large proportions and bulky muscles that wouldn't have been out of place on an Earthbender. With such a powerful physique, it was hardly surprising that he was carrying both his own and Pakka's traveling bags over his broad shoulders. He was dressed in a similar heavy winter coat, but black with red seams and edgings, reflecting his homeland of the Fire Nation. Aside from having his dark hair tied up in a traditional topknot with the Firebender amber eyes, Hiruzen was almost nothing like his heritage implied he should be. However, Hiruzen was very unique as a Firebender because he possessed an unheard of bending talent that had quickly garnered him a very appropriate nickname among the shadows of the society.

"Will you two shut up?" the lone female of the trio demanded. "You're giving me a headache, Raiden."

Rui Ming was a woman of 22 and from rather humble origins in the southern Earth Kingdoms, as was shown in her tanned skin (just a shade lighter than Pakka's) and her hair which she kept hung in a straight ponytail. Her face was presently hidden under the conical straw hat she wore, protecting her gray eyes from the noontime's sun. Rui was almost unnaturally tall for a woman, with a strong stature that rivaled most other Earthbenders her age, even if hers was obviously more feminine. She wore a beige and brown colored coat over a long-sleeved tunic and pants with her feet safely nestled within a pair of small shoes. Though she too carried a traveler's pack, hers was much more travel worn than her companions.

"It's not my fault Old Ice here is getting on in his years," Hiruzen said, glancing at Rui impatiently as she too stopped and stood next to Pakka to hide from the cold winds. Sighing heavily, Hiruzen shook his head in exasperation as he finally relented to his companions, unloaded his cargo from his back and sat down upon the ground near them. "_Honestly_, are you two _really_ from the colder regions? I mean, even if I'm not as old as grandpa, _I_ hail from the _tropics_ and I'm handling this little wind _much_ better than either of you two! Shit, we just spent over _six months_ in the Si Wong Desert and you can't handle a little cold wind while we're _practically_ at the doorstep of a hot bath, meals, and real beds?!"

"For training, I'm willing to endure all hardships," Pakka said in his usual quiet, reserved tone. "But that only extends for as long as the training is occurring. You know that."

"You talk too much, Raiden," Rui stated bluntly, tipping her straw hat back just enough for him to see her glare slightly at him.

"And you call me by that name way too much, _Miss Kusarigama!_" Hiruzen pointed out. "What's the point of hiding when you go and blurt out my stage name like that?"

Rui just stared blankly at Hiruzen for the comment of her own little underworld nickname. Rui was considered an Earthbending Master of the highest tier. She had even enrolled in the infamous and highly sought-after Beifong Metalbending Academy when she was just ten years old. Yet what she specialized in most what not necessarily either of her bending arts, but the use of a chain-sickle weapon. A weapon that her Metalbending powers only helped to augment incredibly as she grew older and more experienced.

Pakka just ignored the two, pulling his bag away from Hiruzen so he could dig out a small pouch of tea mix. Bending water out of one of his water skins, he filled one of his tea cups with it and dropped the tea bag into it, heating the water with his chi as he did so. As he waited for his tea to brew, Pakka glanced at his companions and once again found himself reminiscing on his youth and how the world had changed since the Hundred Years War had ended.

Back when he had been just lad, scarcely older than the newly-returned Avatar had been at the time, he had had dreams of battle and glory, driving the Fire Nation back to their tropical islands and overpowering the Fire Lord to finally bring an end to the war. Though he was hardly any better than 'adept level' for Waterbending, he had been pressed into service defending his homeland during the Siege of the North Pole. At the time, he'd felt incredibly honored and privileged to be allowed to fight on the frontlines with the rest of the Waterbender warriors. Sad as it was, he didn't even last an hour in the free-for-all after the Firebenders broke through the protective outer wall and invaded the city proper.

Looking back on it, Pakka could freely admit that only luck or fate had allowed him to survive that battle. Whether it was luck or fate was regardless, the arrival of the Ocean Spirit-empowered Avatar had quickly repelled the Firebenders and saved him from a fiery death. That's not to say that he escaped unscathed, as the burn on his face reminded him every time he looked in a mirror. Following the invasion, he had discovered a better grasp of the limitations of his skill level and desired to rectify it by undergoing the most brutal training regimens Pakku and the other old Masters knew. It had taken him nearly five years to master all of those intensive exercises, but he was still not satisfied.

With the war over, he left the Tribe and started traveling abroad, fighting as many aggressive opponents as he could to further refine his techniques and develop new skills. It was during this time that he learned of a previously unknown Waterbending skill that was considered the highest tier ever, Bloodbending. In his youthful lust for power, prestige, and respect, he drove himself to learn this new skill on his own. It was difficult, but he'd eventually gotten the hang of it. However he was quite annoyed at the time that he could only use it under the power of a full moon, restricting its usage to three nights a month. Of course, when he later heard of Bloodbending becoming illegal and the following arrest and imprisonment of the dangerous criminal Yakone, he eventually decided it was for the best that he couldn't use Bloodbending at will. It could've easily corrupted him just as thoroughly as Yakone, especially back then.

What followed were decades' worth of training and refining in his Waterbending and spirituality, taking the occasional mercenary job for money, and putting down or arresting criminals as he traveled throughout the world. He'd met Hiruzen and Rui in their respective homelands and, for whatever reasons, they'd decided to accompany him on his 'quest of physical and spiritual self-discovery'. And though hardly the novice he'd been during the Hundred Years War, his two new companions had both been among his most difficult of opponents. Their first respective battles with him had come so close that they still regularly argued over who exactly won which match. Some days, he would admit to quite enjoying their easy camaraderie and training matches. Other times, he loathed the days he met them.

Removing his tea bag, Pakka sipped his brew slowly, enjoying the impromptu beverage as he allowed his weary body to rest. Very soon he'd no longer be able to go on these six month excursions to various inhospitable locations throughout the world for the sake of survival and endurance training. He'd have to one day admit that he really _was_ getting too old and would have to settle down in some place where he'd likely never leave until he made his journey to the Spirit World and began his next great adventure. What was really sad for him was that while he didn't quite feel ready for that adventure yet, he might not have a choice in the matter anymore.

What a fatalistic, if realistic, thought that was.

—水—土—火—**气**—

**South Pole**

With a loud, throaty groan, Oogi landed heavily. The thick snow crunched loudly under his massive bulk and weight, the great beast sinking several inches before the snow compacted enough to support the massive sky bison's weight. Patting his close friend's head in silent gratitude for the long trip from their home in Republic City, Tenzin dropped the reins and calmly jumped high into the air. Casually bending the winds around to cushion and slow his descent, the bearded man landed upon the snow himself, as soft and lightly as a leaf on the wind.

Walking forward with the gait of a man on a mission, Tenzin approached the group of White Lotus sentries and warriors that were standing guard outside the cave of a large rock outcropping. The winter storms were still going strong in the South Pole, but today they were noticeably less powerful. The cold winds swept the loose snow about continuously, burying and revealing the frozen tundra.

But the clouds in the sky weren't as dense as normal, allowing a warm glow to penetrate their vast heights and illuminate the grounds below. It was actually thanks to this momentary light that the White Lotus had managed to find the hidden cave. They had noticed it and entered it for some protection against the winter storm as they took a break from their search to find the missing child. Though there wasn't much hope of finding the child (alive at least) in the South Pole, the White Lotus had felt it necessary to keep up a steady search nonetheless. When they entered the cave, it was then that they found that it had been inhabited recently, as the frozen corpses revealed. Yet what really got their interest was the manner in which the corpses had died that instantly caught their interests and suspicions.

When Tenzin had first heard of the potential Avatar child going missing and the girl's family killed in the process, he had immediately taken Oogi and flown south to lend his aid to the search in whatever way he could. Even though his mother felt that the child was indeed the Avatar and was likely no longer in the Southern Water Tribe, Tenzin had wanted to confirm it from himself first. Thus when reports of the cave reached him, he flew out into the wilderness immediately.

"Councilman Tenzin," one of the Lotus sentries greeted, bowing slightly. "We weren't expecting you."

"I wanted to personally investigate and to lend my aid in anyway," Tenzin stated, glancing at the man before returning his attention to the cave. "What do we know of this place?"

"Officially, it seems to be owned by a Water Tribesman, a fisherman by the name of 'Jakka'," the sentry said, escorting the Airbender inside. "We have just recently confirmed that he was one of the three corpses we found inside."

"Your reports stated that they'd been killed, but no details beyond that," Tenzin said looking around the first chamber they entered into. It seemed to be a rather typical hunting cabin but there were three bodies covered in blankets in the corner of the room. "Any leads to how they died?"

"Well, we know how they died, just not the why or when," another voice answered as an elder Firebender entered from the back room.

"Oh?" Tenzin inquired.

"Though one man did have one of his hands bitten by a small animal, our experts think it may have been a polar bear-dog puppy, they were each impaled on stakes or battered by rocks," the Firebender said. "The clues were pretty obvious since not only were they still suspended in the air on the stakes, but their blood had frozen onto them as well."

"Earthbending? Then the child really was the Avatar? Or was it something else?" Tenzin said. "Do we know who any of the men here were? Were any of them Earthbenders?"

"No, none of them were," the sentry added helpfully. "We've actually believe they may have been affiliated with Amon and the Equalists of Republic City."

"What?" Tenzin asked, surprised and somewhat disturbed. He knew that many people disliked benders nowadays, but he had honestly thought that the attitude was more restricted to Republic City and the former Fire Nation colonies. To realize that the Equalists had people as far as the Southern Water Tribe…it was a very disturbing and revealing revelation to Tenzin of just how much political and social power the movement was gaining recently.

"What's more curious is that we've found evidence of several…disturbing things here," the Firebender continued. "There's a tunnel through the rock that we believe was carved by a creature, probably the polar bear-dog trying to get out of the cold. There's evidence that there were originally five or six men present here, yet we've only found these three. One of the coats and a pair of boats are missing. There's no food in storage. And we've found a letter addressed to these men…from Amon."

The Firebender didn't even need to wait for Tenzin to make his demand before raising the aforementioned letter out of his pocket and handing it to the man. Tenzin took the letter and carefully read its contents. The contents were quite revealing about numerous things that he'd only suspected before. These men had actually found and captured the Avatar before the White Lotus had a chance to find and visit her. They knew this because they'd had to chi-block her numerous times to prevent her from trying to escape and to break her spirit. But Amon's response to this news had not been congratulatory; it had been quite vividly angry and displeased. Not only could their unsanctioned attack smear the Equalists' 'good name' if it ever got out, but it ran contradictory to the man's plans for the girl. This implied that Amon had ambitions that were far grander than Tenzin had originally given him credit for.

"My guess," the Firebender said when he saw that Tenzin had finished reading. "The Avatar managed to free herself after the chi-blocking wore off, with help from the polar bear-dog. She took what she needed or could find and ran out into the storm, probably trying to find her way back home. If she was lucky, she might've made it all the way to the Tribe in less than three days walking. That's assuming she didn't get lost and froze to death."

"Don't talk about such things," Tenzin said sternly. "The Avatar would never die so easily from something like that."

"Sorry, sir," the Firebender said, bowing his head submissively. "I just don't like all this cold. I'm…better off farther up north, in the tropics."

Tenzin nodded absentmindedly as he handed the letter back to the man. Turning his attention to where the Firebender had come from, the Airbender walked over to investigate the remaining shelter. Passing the small bedrooms, he noticed an open door at the end of the hall. Moving towards it, he found himself in the heart of the murder scene.

The room was still largely untouched from its previous state, excluding the removal of the bodies. He took in all of the room with a mere glance. He saw the rock spikes with frozen blood caked along their tips jutting out the ground like an uphill-flowing landslide. The small tunnel that was off in one corner of the room that was filled with small scratch marks of an animal with powerful claws. And he saw the small bundle of ragged, threadbare, and torn clothing that were kid-sized. In an instant, Tenzin realized that the little girl had likely been put through far more than just a mere kidnapping.

He couldn't help but wonder to himself. How would these childhood events shape and warp the new Avatar's perspective and personality? What had become of her? Would she try to live up to her duty as the Avatar? Or would these experiences have scarred her for life and cause her to spend her life in hiding out of fear and indecision?

Sighing to himself, Tenzin leaned against the doorframe. '_I guess I just have to follow mother's advice and be patient, let for the wheels of fate __**turn**__. If the Avatar wishes to fulfill her destiny, she __**will**__ have to seek me out, one way or another… These are going to be some hard years to bear._'

—水—**土**—火—气—

**Market Street, Omashu**

Korra eyed the food stand hungrily. Drool was practically running out of her mouth at the sight of the tart apples, sweet pears, crunchy carrots, bundles of cabbages, and barrels of various beans. The literal feast ahead of her was immensely tempting to her growling stomach. Beside her, a similar growing stomach alerted her to Naga's hunger as well. To Korra's considerable surprise, Naga was a lot like her in that she could anything, not just meat even though it was her preferred dish. The two of them were crouched hidden upon the roof of a nearby market stand as they staked out the food stand. It had taken a lot of practice and some helpful guidance from the other street rat orphans of the city, but Korra was finally starting to get a hang of stealing for survival.

As the merchant was distracted with one particularly worn-looking traveler, a tall and burly Fire Nation man, Korra decided to put her new plan into action. Leaning over to Naga, she quietly whispered, "Okay, Naga. You remember what to do, right?"

Though she had quickly discovered that Naga was extremely intelligent and they'd practiced this maneuver a lot in the past few days, Korra didn't want to leave this chance. Naga just shot her a bored look as though to say, '_Don't you believe in me yet?_' Korra just smiled a bit sheepishly before gently tossing her to roof of the next door stand.

With practiced ease, Naga hopped over the edge and landed upon the Fire Nation man's head. Playing her part perfectly, Naga let out several startled yelps, sinking her claws slightly into the man's clothes to maintain a strong climb as the man started reacting and bucking. As he was doing this, the merchant tried to lend his help and grabbed for Naga's smaller hind legs in an attempt to pry her off the man. In the process of all this, neither of them noticed the small basket of various foods that the Fire Nation man had dropped start sliding to the side, disappearing between the stands before a small jolt of earth sent it skyward into the awaiting arms of a young, dark-skinned girl.

Finally prying the creature off him, the man held the puppy before him with a sharp eye, examining the unexpected menace critically. "How about this," the man said in a curious tone. "A polar bear-dog in Omashu? Didn't see this one coming."

Naga returned the comment by leaning forward and giving the man a long, wet lick across the face. This caused him to accidentally release her as he tried to use one hand to wipe his face. Breaking free of the weakened grasp, Naga dropped to the ground and scampered away, ignoring the malicious-sounding yells of the merchant who was warning her stay away.

Following Korra's scent, Naga found the girl between a pair of stands a short distance away, idly rummaging through their winnings. Sitting with her back against a barrel of drinking water, Korra held up a head of broccoli with a look of total disgust. Seeing her friend approaching, Korra smiled at her, then held out the broccoli questioningly. "You want this one, girl?"

Naga came up and sniffed the vegetable tentatively, only to scamper away, crouch on the ground, and paw at her snout in a feeble attempt to get the horrid stench out of her nose.

"Yeah, I guess you got a point there," Korra agreed, easily tossing the vegetable aside with one hand as she pulled out a carrot and took a bite hungrily. What Korra didn't notice was the large hand that snaked out and caught the vegetable before it landed on the ground. Holding out a different vegetable, she asked, "How about a cabbage?" Naga snatched the green bundle of leaves out of her hands before she'd even finished her question.

"Mind if I join you?" a deep voice asked from the side. The unexpected voice caused Korra and Naga to reflexively shoot to their feet, both cradling their stolen goods protectively.

Turning towards the voice, they found themselves staring at the burly Fire Nation man, idly munching on the discarded broccoli. Though the man's expression was of cheerful neutrality, there was a certain fire in his eyes that instantly put Korra on edge. This man was _dangerous_. Before either of the two could really react, the man had plopped down in front of them, effectively boxing them into a corner between the stands and against the stone wall. Korra's one consolation was that she had immediate access to both water and the rock should she need them if the man made any threatening gestures.

"That was a pretty good trick," the man said, nodding down towards Naga. "Using your friend to distract people while you took their stuff when they drop it, very clever. But you need to work on your timing, coordination, and escape. You also made a few mistakes before you even got started."

"Wh-What?" Korra asked, quite surprised. She didn't expect the man to actually compliment her or try to offer her advice on how to steal better.

"Your hiding place was very obvious," the man said, taking another small bite from his broccoli. "I spotted it about ten minutes ago. Never hide in high places unless it's dark out because that means that more people can see you more easily. The best place to hide is in the crowds. Understand?"

Korra just nodded slightly as the realization of what the man was talking about dawned on her. '_So, maybe that's why no one really came to the stand before this guy?_'

"Also, you need to teach your friend here how to watch out for people tailing her," the man said, gesturing slightly to Naga. Naga just let out a whimpered growl at being singled out on her own mistake like that. "She could accidentally lead them back to you, like just now."

"Why are you helping me?" Korra demanded in a soft voice.

"Because I was like you when I was kid," the man answered with sincerity in his voice. "Ran away from home because my parents couldn't handle having so many children, started stealing and eventually got into _big_ trouble with a very _bad_ gang of people because of some rookie mistakes I made, and I practically had to sell my soul to them to repay what they said I owed. And I've _still_ got them following me, trying to cause me trouble because they don't like that I'm so much _better_ than scum like them."

Korra just stared at the man, both frightened and awed all the more.

"Learn from your mistakes, but always remember lessons from your elders," the man said, reaching forward and taking his basket of food from Korra's unresisting grasp. He let her keep the carrot and cabbage that they'd already taken, but that was it. Standing up, he smiled softly down at her as he patted her head almost affectionately before turning and walking away.

Korra just managed to come back to herself to see the man about to vanish into the crowd. Running forward slightly, she yelled out, "Thank you, mister!"

—**水**—**土**—**火**—气—

**One hour later…**

Pakka had a small smile on his face as he walked down the street. Omashu was just as crowded as he remembered, though there were a number of differences than he remembered from when he visited last time about twenty years ago. There were quite a few new clothing fashions, new architecture, and just a general environment of a busy city starting to find a new face for itself. For one thing, there were quite a few Satomobiles on the roads, which had had to be slightly expanded to accommodate the new vehicles.

The sight of the mechanized vehicles drew an immediate scowl to Pakka's face. He'd have to blame his upbringing during a time of war, but he was a very strict traditionalist when it came to certain things. And chief among those things were the motor vehicles that were starting to become a common sight. The vehicles dredged up potent memories of the war, fighting against the noisy and seemingly unending armies of tanks that the Fire Nation had developed in the last few years of the war. Though they offered an undisputable advantage on the battlefield, they and the technology that created them should've _stayed_ there_,_ in his opinion. Not to mention that the costs of purchase, maintenance, and repair alone on the damn things were phenomenally greater than the prices of a traditional ostrich-horse-pulled cart or wagon.

The old man was on his way back to the motel that he and the other two had rented. He was coming from the local pharmacy drug store to restock their depleted stores of vitamins, pain-relievers, immune system boosters, and other necessary meds. Though you could do a lot with water-healing, there were some aches and pains that no amount of water could heal. Pains he was starting to feel much more regularly these past few years, he was sad to admit.

"You didn't forget to get some milk, did you, Pakka?" Rui asked as she walked up to him from the crowd. "I know Hiruzen went grocery shopping, but you know how he is with his sake."

Pakka hummed loudly in acknowledgement. Aside from his loud, boisterous personality, one of Hiruzen's character flaws that neither of his two companions appreciated at all was his slight addiction to alcohol. And while he was by no means an alcoholic in the traditional sense of the word, he did tend to drink it more than any other beverage when given the chance or choice. Pakka reached into the paper bag he was carrying and slightly pulled out a large carton of milk to show the lady. "I've got some, don't worry."

As Rui was nodding, a jumble of voices from the alley they were approaching caught their attentions. The loud shouts of exertion, yelps of pain, and fleshy impacts had the two of them stop just at the entrance to peer around the corner. They saw what they expected, a fistfight with about five teenagers involved. Well, it wasn't so much of a fight as a beat down.

Though some of the boys were a bit dirty and had burnt patches on their clothing, it was clear that they'd somewhat easily overwhelmed their opponent. Pakka passed his examination of them rather quickly, labeling them as bullies and quickly-budding thugs. When his attention was drawn to their victim, he had to resist the urge growl. Those teenaged punks were relentlessly kicking a young child on the ground. And while he was very much into fighting superior opponents for self-improvement, there were always limits to be observed.

Hopping out from around the corner with an agility and nimbleness that was astounding for his old age, Pakka uncorked one of his six water skins and sent a blast racing forward. The water caught the teens flatfooted, washing over them and sending them tumbling with great ease. As the boys were recovering, Rui rushed forward as she jerked her arms to the side and then yanked them backwards. In response, a large dumpster rolled away from the wall and slammed into the boys' backs, knocking them over again as it fell over and pinned them to the ground under its weight. The unexpected blow also had the effect of knocking them unconscious when they hit the ground again. Reaching them, Rui grabbed the dumpster and pushed it downward slightly, impaling parts of the corners into the stone below, trapping the aggressors securely.

Recalling his water back into its skin, Pakka approached and knelt down next to the child. It was then that he could see that the child was of Water Tribe descent and that she had been cradling an injured puppy beneath her, protecting it from the boys. "You two okay, little one?"

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, the girl jerked her head up and blew out a small plume of fire, trying to scare the stranger away from her and her polar bear-dog. All Pakka did was lean back and let the flame pass him by, singeing his eyebrows from the heat in the process. He looked down coolly at her with a raised brow. "Was that really necessary?"

As the girl went back to cowering, the puppy finally pulled itself out from under her and let out a threatening growl as it stood protectively in front of her. Walking up behind them, Rui stopped and crouched down slightly to eye the girl critically. Pakka kept an eye on the creature as he asked, "Why were those punks hurting you?"

"They said…" the girl uttered in a strained voice and wheezing gasps of breath. Pakka frowned at hearing the weak voice. Uncorking one of his skins again, he drew out some of the liquid and gently enveloped her within it. After a moment, the water gained a healing glow as Pakka began to gently soothe and ease her pains. Once the girl was able to breathe normally again, she said, "They said _I_ was a _liar_ and _they_ were _heroes!_"

"Why would they say that?" Pakka asked, keeping his focus on the water and healing the girl. If what he was sensing was right, she had many bruises hidden under her clothes, cracked and fractured bones, and was entering the early stages of starvation. She was either from a bad home or had recently been orphaned and gone out on the streets to survive. Not only that, he finding a lot of her chi points blocked or closed. Forcing open a person's chi pressure point via water-healing was a risky procedure that could potentially permanently damage the victim's chi pathways in various ways, which was why it was better to just let the blockage wear itself off naturally.

"Because they're _Equalists_," the girl spat with a surprising amount of hatred in her young voice. "And Equalists are _always right_ and _just!_ They _never_ _bully, steal, or kill! They're __**perfect**__ angels!_"

"Calm down," Pakka ordered sternly. Her agitation was aggravating her wounds and making it harder for him to heal them.

"You fought them alone?" Rui asked quietly, eyeing the girl appraisingly. For a child, even if she was bender, to do that, she must've been extraordinarily courageous or desperate. "Why?"

"They wouldn't leave me alone," the girl said before glancing over towards the puppy who had calmed down and was watching her friend get slowly healed. "And they wanted to sell Naga to the zoo!" The puppy growled lowly at the mention of that little fact.

Rui glanced back the unconscious teens with a glare. "I do not like these boys."

Finally healing the girl to the best of his ability, Pakka withdrew the water and stepped back, allowing the girl to climb to her feet. He examined her closely, his mind already awhirl with a variety of possibilities about her. She was clearly Water Tribe in ancestry, yet she had Firebent at him in desperation since most of her chi points had been blocked. That meant she was either birthed by a Firebender parent or…

"What's your name, child?" he asked, lightly grasping his still uncorked water skin. Rui caught his slight movement and gave him a small glance but made no comment.

"Korra," the girl said, turning to face him slightly. "Why?"

"I wanna do a little test," Pakka announced casually before launching a small burst of water at her.

The water would've only gotten her wet since it lacked all of the normal speed and power he usually packed into it. But the water didn't hit her as it would've a Firebender and neither did she react as a Firebender. Using what little of her unblocked chi as she could, Korra caught the water in her palms, spinning with the force, and sending it rocketing back at Pakka with double the power and speed. Catching his water in one palm, Pakka calmly bent it back into his water skin without comment. Korra just blinked in confusion for a moment while Rui was glancing between them before her eyes lit up in realization.

"Why'd you do that, old man?!" Korra yelled at him, steam and smoke practically blowing out of her mouth in a rather comical image of her anger.

"I apologize, Avatar Korra," Pakka said, bowing his head slightly, ignoring the girl's flinch of surprise. "I just had to be sure."

Korra just stared at the man, her anger vanishing like smoke in the wind as she tried to process just what had happened and what she should do in response. Taking her silence in stride, Pakka turned and gestured towards the street. "Come, let's get you and your friend fed, bathed, and into some fresh clothes. After that, we can discuss what we'll do with you."

Before Korra could adequately form a reply, a loud and somewhat familiar voice called from around the corner. "Hey, old man! You out here or should I schedule an appointment at the funeral home?"

In a smooth move, Pakka turned and launched a clunk rock hard ice towards the source of the voice as the man walked pass the alley. The man seemed to sense the attack and dodged at the last possible moment, turning to face down the alley. In a surprisingly cheerful voice, he called, "Oh, there you are!"

It took a slight moment, but Korra found that she recognized the large, muscular man. "Hey! You're the guy from Market Street!"

Hiruzen stopped and glanced down at the girl, having just noticed her presence. "Well, well, if it isn't the little street mouse. Did you get caught again? I told you not to hide in high places."

Before Korra could reply, Rui stepped forward and smacked Hiruzen behind the head quite hard. "You will not address the Avatar so rudely, Raiden."

"Avatar?" Hiruzen blinked, rubbing his throbbing head, staring at the girl in surprise.

—**水**—**土**—**火**—气—

**Three days later  
Outside Omashu…**

It had been decided after their evening meal, when she had told her short but tragic story, Korra would travel with the three masters. They'd teach her Bending and protect her from the Equalists and anyone who'd seek to do her harm. In return, she'd obey her new masters and occasionally help them complete a mercenary mission for money and funds. Though that had been their stated reason, the unvoiced one was that each of them considered it a _huge_ honor to train the Avatar in their respective Bending Arts.

The morning after, they had left Omashu and headed for the coastal port town that Korra had originally landed at. At present, they were taking a short break in their trek to have a small meal and stretching weary limbs. While Naga was sunning herself in a patch of warm sunlight, Korra sat attentively in front of Pakka who was explaining the basic principles of Waterbending to her.

"Remember, Korra," he was saying as he levitated a long stream of water out of the nearby river they were near. He was slowly moving through the classic stances of the age-old Water Whip. "In Waterbending, softness and breath can be more powerful than hard aggression. We use flexibility and redirection to take our enemies' attacks and throw it back at them even harder." He gave the Whip an extra sharp snap to emphasize his point. Returning the water to the river, he turned back to his student and said, "Now you try it."

Korra eagerly jumped up and took a stance was ruggedly similar to his opening one. With a grunt of exertion, the girl channeled her chi and summoned out a strip of water. In her excitement, her concentration faltered and her whip fell apart midway through her transition to the next step. Korra just chuckled awkwardly at her failure, getting a sigh of resignation from Pakka in response. She quickly turned back to the water and attempted it again. This time, with a tighter grip on her emotions, she was able to mimic his technique perfectly. Pakka offered her a nod of approval when she turned for his acknowledgement.

"Ah yes, the Water Whip," Hiruzen said as he walked forward, intruding on the lesson that Pakka had explicitly forbade him from interrupting. "An old favorite for many of the Waterbenders up north."

Korra was somewhat ignoring Hiruzen as she was trying perform the Whip again. Seeing that his student wasn't listening, Hiruzen launched a pair of fireballs at her feet, only close enough to startle her. In doing so, her Whip fell apart again and she turned to glare at him heatedly. "What Pakka forgot to mention was that you need a solid stance and good footing to use that technique. Next time, _listen_ to me, Korra!"

"_Hey!_" Pakka barked, moving forward to confront his rival head on. "She's _my_ student right now, _not yours!_"

"If you want to train her right, you have to show her the weaknesses as well as strengths," Hiruzen responded just as aggressively, puffing up his chest and using his great body mass to help him literally stare down Pakka. "You've clearly never had students before."

"I'll train her in Waterbending as I see fit!" Pakka snapped. "Now leave! Two masters cannot teach the same student. Two tiger-monkeys cannot live atop the same mountain!"

"Well, at least we agree on that!" Hiruzen said. "Now, teach her properly or I'll teach her myself!"

"You wouldn't dare," Pakka growled, actually starting to get genuinely angry.

"Did you forget why they call me 'Raiden', old man?" Hiruzen asked pointedly and somewhat snidely. Even though he was a Firebender, Hiruzen was quite unique in that he not only studied the other elements, but he tried to incorporate some of their moves into his own. This extensive training had birthed a truly unique fighting style that Hiruzen was quite notoriously well-known for in the underworld of bending. So him saying that he could teach Korra Waterbending was no idle threat, and Pakka knew this.

"Why don't we let Korra decide?" Pakka proposed after a moment to calm himself. Hiruzen nodded in agreement.

No sooner had the question left Pakka's mouth than did the two of them hear a resounding crunch of rock smashing rock. Turning simultaneously towards the source, both of them blinked in surprise. Apparently at some point in their argument, Korra had wandered off and was now being shown basic Earthbending stances by Rui. The noise had been Korra launching a rather strong technique of smashing two separate boulders together on a target.

"HEY!" Pakka and Hiruzen yelled indignantly. They may have not come to an understanding on who got to teach Korra what and when, but they both knew that it was rude for the student to walk out on the master like that. The fact that Rui had taken advantage of them just added salt to the wound.

It was at that moment that all four of them knew that the next couple years were definitely going to be very interesting ones.

* * *

(**Author's Note**) Congratulations people! By majority vote, I've decided to continue writing this story. And thank you for encouraging reviews, it really helps a person to get and stay inspired about something when people semi-regularly show interest. But still, don't expect too many updates too regularly. I've got a bad history for finishing stories and I've recently started a new job that takes up a lot of time. Though I'm starting to get into the flow of it, I doubt I'll be making many updates in the coming weeks/months.

I hope you all like my three new OCs. Trust me, I _don't_ intend for them to be major characters in this story. But all the same, Korra needs _someone_ to teach her how to use her Avatar powers and these guys were just the easiest route to solving _that_ problem for me. But I can honestly say that Pakka is my favorite of the trio. Why? Because my step-cousin when she just a child (5 or so) had given her grandfather the nickname 'Pakka' and it's stuck ever since (even among his own kids!). I kid you not when I say that we regularly refer to him as such instead of his own name! The fact that it fits nicely in the Water Tribe naming themes is just an awesome and convenient coincidence for me.

On another note, I confess to needing some help for the next chapter. How many of you would like me to expand on Korra's childhood training? Or should I just jump into the heart of the story with Amon making his move to conquer Republic City and then the world? I ask because the early training scenes could provide some helpful hints and explanations for some of Korra's future bending abilities and give me a chance to showcase some of her masters talents as well. But in doing so, I'd essentially be delaying the story by putting in a few mini-arcs.

So, should I or should I not show her training? Please answer.


End file.
